Wire-stretcher.



J. H. HARPER.

WIRE STRETCHER.

APPLICATION men AUG. I8, 1916.

Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

John If. Hazper JOHN H. HARPER, OF RINGGOLD, TEXAS.

WIRE-STRETGHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

Application filed August 18, 1916. Serial No. 115,618.

To all whom it may concem:

Be it known that 1, JOHN H. HARPER, a citizen of the United States, residing at liinggold, in the county of Montague and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire- Stretcher-s, of which. the following is a speciiication.

This invention relates broadly to that class of inventions known as pushers and pullers. i

The invention has more special reference to a wire stretcher the frame of which has.

means adjustably connected thereto for anchormg the frame 1n position on a post so as to permit of the convenient manual operation of the adjustable rack, on the.

these means have not accomplished the ex-' peditious continuous adjustment thereof.

A further and more specific improvement resides in the provision of the novel construction of the frame provided with means for slidably sup mrtingthe rack bar, the latter being incidentally provided with stop means for limiting the outward movement of the bar.

Other means and novel details in the construction and arrangement of parts will be appreciated from the detail description below which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof and wherein I disclose the preferred embodiment of the invention for a purpose of illustration.

In the annexed drawings Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan thereof.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on line 33 of Fig. 1 in the direction in which the arrow points.

Fig. 1 is an elevational detail of the wire clamp.

Referring more particularly to the drawings in which similar reference numerals designate like and corresponding parts throughout the several views, I provide a frame composed of a pair of complement-a1 side bars 1 and 2 held in spaced parallel relation by means of transversely arranged blocks 3 positioned therebetween, the outer ends of each of the bars having offset portions to provide feet a which terminate in post engaging claws 5. Pivotally mounted between the feet 4L are the spaced arms (5 of the laterally extending bracket 7. In order to adjustably anchor the frame on the post, I

have provided a post engaging hook 8 the shank 9 of which is provided with a plurality of openings 10 removably engageable by a fastening device 11 on the bracket arms 6, it being desirable to arrange the shank 9 between the arms and fasten it in position after it has been anchored in the post in a manner so as to cooperate with the claws 5 illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

The inner surfaces of the bars 1 and 2 are provided with oppositely positioned longitudinally extending grooves 12 in which is slidably mounted a rack bar 13 having teeth 14 and 15 arranged on the opposite sides thereof and adjacent one longitudinal edge.

The wire clamping means in the present instance consists of a shank 16 the inner end of which is pivoted as at 17 to a block 18 carried by the inner end of the rack bar 13. The outer end of the shank 16 has a rigid jaw 19 formed thereon while a movable hand operable cam shaped jaw 20 is pivoted as at 21 to the outer end of the shank so that the cam portion of the jaw 20 will act in conjunction with the rigid jaw 19 and efficiently hold the piece of wire.

For the purpose of effecting an efficient continuous adjustment of the rack bar I have provided the inner surface of one of the jaws 1 with V-shaped recesses 22 and 23 said recesses communicating at their vertices and at a point in alinement with the center of one of the grooves 12. The inner surface of the bar 1 is also provided adjacent one side of the recess 22 with another recess 2 1 the inner wall of the recess providing a curved shoulder for a purpose to be hereinafter described. I have also provided another V-shaped recess 25 which extends from the opposite side of the recess 22. The walls 26 of this recess 25 converge as they extend away from the recesses 22 and 23 and finally communicate with the adjacent groove 12. Pivotally mounted through the medium of a suitable fastening device 27 is an operating lever 28 for the rack bar 13, said fastening device 27 being in alinement with the grooves 12. Complemental fingers 29 are ,gageable with the correspondingly positioned shoulder 32 in alinement with the wall of the recess 23. It is thought to be apparent that when the handle is moved toward the adjacent end of the frame that the inner finger will engage the teeth 14 while the outer finger moves rearwardly until its cam surface 31 strikes the shoulder 24 and forces the curved engaging end into engagement with one of the teeth 15 whereupon the handle is swung in an opposite direction un til this curved end abuts the adjacent wall 26 of the recess 25. During this movement the cam surface 31 on the inner finger will strike the wall 32 and force the engaging end into engagement with the teeth 14-, this operation being repeated until the bar traverses the length of the frame.

In order to limit the inward movement of the bar I have connected a stop 33 to one end thereof which engages the frame and prevents the displacement of the bar.

The operation of this invention is as follows The claws 5 are engaged in a suitable post as is the hook 8 the latter being finally adjustably connected to the bracket 6 so that the rack bar to which the clamping jaws are connected.

From the foregoing it will be understood that I have provided eflicient means for continuously actuating the rack bar of a wire stretcher and particular stress is laid on this point together with the means for anchoring the peculiarly constructed frame on the post.

Still further embodiments of the invention than those herein especially defined may be resorted to as conditions or preference may dictate, as may be in keeping with the hereto appended claim.

I claim A wire stretcher including a frame emlxodying spaced side bars, means for anchoring the frame in position, a rack bar slidably mounted between the side bars, one of the side bars being provided with communieating V-shaped recesses, and further provided adjacent the sides of the V-shaped recesses withfinger guiding recesses, a lever pivotally mounted on one of the side bars and arranged within the V-shaped recesses, and fingers pivoted to the lever above and below the rack bar to alternately engage the teeth thereof and positioned within and guided by the finger receiving recesses during the actuation of the lever.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN H. HARPER. Witnesses: I

J. F. SCOTT,

R. J. LIsTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washing-ton, D. G. 

